This Is Why The Stanford Rape Victim Is Remaining Anonymous

"I am worthy of respect."

Above all things, Brock Turner is a rapist, even though a judge, his attorney, his dad, and, sometimes, the media have billed him as anything but. The fact of the matter is that Turner was convicted of raping an unconscious woman behind a dumpster.

Because this happens all the time, and because so many woman experience what the victim in this case went through, the victim told Fox affiliate KTVU she has decided to remain anonymous. While it might seem like putting her name out there would be a powerful statement, the reason she had for holding it back is even more powerful.

This is what she had to say:

“I remain anonymous, yes to protect my identity.

But it is also a statement, that all of these people are fighting for
someone they don't know.

That's the beauty of it. I don't need labels, categories, to prove I
am worthy of respect, to prove that I should be listened to.

I am coming out to you as simply a woman wanting to be heard.

Yes there is plenty more I'd like to tell you about me.

For now, I am every woman.”

The survivor in this case is truly every woman. She is a victim, a survivor, a friend, a sister, a daughter, a girlfriend, and an ally. She stood up for herself, and she stood up for all women when she made her victim impact statement, and she’s still standing to fight against the ridiculously lenient sentence given to her attacker. Even though the judge valued Brock's potential over the victim's, she's setting an example that it doesn't mean her potential is gone.